Botswana government officials are set to meet with South Africa’s electricity ministry this week to address soaring power import costs, which have more than doubled, exacerbating the country’s ongoing energy crisis.
Frequent breakdowns at Botswana’s 600 MW Morupule B power plant have led to blackouts lasting up to four hours.
To cover the shortfall, Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., South Africa’s state-owned power company, has been supplying electricity.
However, Botswana’s Energy Minister, Bogolo Kenewendo, informed lawmakers on Monday that Eskom has significantly increased tariffs.
As a result, Botswana’s debt to Eskom has surged to P2.6 billion, with the South African utility urging settlement ahead of negotiations scheduled for Thursday.
To ease the crisis, Botswana is seeking to secure 200 MW of electricity from South Africa while also issuing a 1.5 GW renewable energy tender on Friday.
Additionally, the government is working on a rescue plan for the Botswana Power Corporation, which includes debt restructuring.
Botswana’s peak electricity demand is approximately 640 MW, with supply currently coming from one operational unit at Morupule B, diesel generators, and a recently commissioned 50 MW solar plant.
